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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Magellan RoadMate 6630T-LM

By George Harding

You can’t tell from this product name, but I was interested in testing the dash cam that is a part of the product.

Magellan has made navigation devices for many years, but only recently have they included a dash cam. A navigation device shows you a map with you in the center. It uses GPS info to allow your location to change on the map as you drive around. One of the most useful aspects of the device is the ability to direct you to an input destination by map and by voice.

Recent improvements also allow you to find and select as a destination stores, restaurants, gas stations and more. Traffic info can also be helpful to you as you choose the fastest route.

The 6630T-LM includes a video camera that shows a picture on its screen of what you see outside of your windshield. The view can be recorded and played back later. In the event of an accident or you can take a picture.

A unique feature is the ability to record shortly prior to an accident and shortly after, giving you pictorial evidence you may need.

Recordings can be viewed either with the dash cam unit or with a separate app downloadable toon your laptop.

The product comes with the RoadMate, windshield mount, power adapter, User Handbook and an 8 GB SDHC card.

One of the first things you are to do is download the latest software and maps. You need a WiFi connection to do this and the device needs to be connected to power. Unfortunately, the only power connector is one that hooks up to the power plug in your car. It would help to have a connector for a wall socket of USB connector cord, since the downloads are lengthy.

I had difficulty attaching RoadMate to my windshield. The pictorial instructions in the Handbook weren’t helpful, but finally I figured it out.